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SEC. 1535. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FUTURES STEERING COMMITTEE.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Not later than April 1, 2026, the Secretary of
Defense shall establish a steering committee on advanced artificial
intelligence capabilities.
(2) Designation.--The steering committee established pursuant
to paragraph (1) shall be known as the ``Artificial Intelligence
Futures Steering Committee'' (in this section the ``Steering
Committee'').
(b) Membership.--The Steering Committee shall be composed of the
following:
(1) The Deputy Secretary of Defense.
(2) The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
(3) The Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.
(4) The Vice Chief of Staff of Naval Operations.
(5) The Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps.
(6) The Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
(7) The Vice Chief of Space Operations.
(8) The Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
(9) The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and
Sustainment.
(10) The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and
Engineering.
(11) The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and
Security.
(12) The Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief
Financial Officer.
(13) Such representatives from the military departments as the
Secretary considers appropriate.
(14) The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer of
the Department of Defense.
(15) Representatives of such innovation centers within the
defense innovation ecosystem as the Secretary of Defense determines
appropriate.
(16) Representatives of such other organizations and elements
of the Department of Defense as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(c) Co-chairpersons.--The Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Vice
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall serve as the co-chairs of
the Steering Committee.
(d) Responsibilities.--The Steering Committee shall be responsible
for--
(1) formulating a proactive policy for the evaluation,
adoption, governance, and risk mitigation of advanced artificial
intelligence systems by the Department of Defense that are more
advanced than any existing advanced artificial intelligence
systems, including advanced artificial intelligence systems that
approach or achieve artificial general intelligence;
(2) analyzing the forecasted trajectory of advanced and
emerging artificial intelligence models and enabling technologies
across multiple time horizons that could enable artificial general
intelligence, including--
(A) current and emerging artificial intelligence models,
including frontier and world models;
(B) agentic algorithms;
(C) neuromorphic computing;
(D) cognitive science applications for the development of
artificial intelligence algorithms or models;
(E) infrastructure needs for infrastructure required to
support the deployment of new or emerging artificial
intelligence systems at a scale projected necessary for future
capacity;
(F) new or emerging microelectronics designs or
architectures; and
(G) such other technologies as the Steering Committee
determines appropriate;
(3) assess the possible technological, operational, and
doctrinal trajectories of adversaries of the United States with
respect to the uses of artificial intelligence capabilities by such
adversaries across various time horizons, including any pursuit or
development by such adversaries of artificial general intelligence;
(4) analyzing the potential operational effects of integrating
advanced or general purpose artificial intelligence into networks
and systems of the Department of Defense from a technical,
doctrinal, training, and resourcing perspective to better
understand and assess how use of such networks and systems by the
Department of Defense may affect future commanders of operational
commands;
(5) developing a strategy for the risk-informed adoption,
governance, and oversight of advanced or general purpose artificial
intelligence by the Department, including--
(A) articulation of ethical, policy, and technical
guardrails to maintain, to the extent practical, appropriate
human decision making in and prevent the misuse of such
advanced or general purpose artificial intelligence;
(B) an assessment of potential effects on commanders of
operational commands, including effects related to maintaining
oversight of mission command when using artificial intelligence
and the capability for humans to override artificial
intelligence through technical, policy, or other operational
controls;
(C) broad resource requirements for artificial
intelligence, including funding, personnel, and infrastructure;
and
(D) measurable goals to support Department-level decision
making on resourcing, programming and budgeting; and
(6) analyzing the threat landscape associated with the use of
advanced artificial intelligence, including artificial general
intelligence, by adversaries of the United States and developing
options and counter-artificial intelligence strategies to defend
against such use.
(e) Meeting Frequency.--The Steering Committee shall meet not less
frequently than once every three months.
(f) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than January 31, 2027, the Deputy
Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense
committees a report on the findings of the Steering Committee with
respect to the matters described in subsection (d).
(2) Form of report.--The report submitted pursuant to paragraph
(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a
classified annex.
(3) Public availability.--The Deputy Secretary of Defense shall
make available to the public the unclassified portion of the report
submitted pursuant to paragraph (1).
(g) Sunset.--The requirements and authorities of this section shall
terminate on December 31, 2027.
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``artificial intelligence'' has the meaning given
such term in 238(g) of the John S. McCain National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115-232; 10
U.S.C. note prec. 4061).
(2) The term ``innovation ecosystem'' means a regionally based
network of private sector, academic, and government institutions in
a network of formal and informal institutional relationships that
contribute to technological and economic development in a defined
technology sector or sectors.